Re: Purgatory?

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 05:12:11 -0800, John W
<john_weatherly47<no>@yahoo.com> wrote:

>x-no-archive:yes
>On Sat, 22 Nov 2003 22:35:34 -0500, Joseph Geloso
><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>BTW, why are you in here? 

This is a cross-posted thread, and I am posting only from the Catholic
newsgroup. I am here because this is a discussion about Purgatory, one
of the Doctrines of the Catholic Church. You said you can disprove the
Doctrine with two passages from Scripture. I am waiting to see that.

>We have a dozen more Catholic "missionary"
>wannabees in here already.

There is only one me!

>And if you haven't learned by now, Baptists do NOT make good
>Catholics.

More accurately, Batists *are* not good Catholics. One of them who
converted would make just as good a Catholic as anybody, and then that
one would make an excellent missionary to the Baptists, having known
what it is like to be a Baptist from the inside.

>We read our bibles, and I've heard since my childhood, "Bible readers
>don't make good Catholics (we know too much), and Catholics aren't
>Bible readers."

Well it is obvious that you have been inculcated with anti-Catholic
prejudice since your youth. So at least I know what I'm dealing with
here. You are under (at least) two distinct misimpressions, and if you
allow me, I can help you to clear them up. 

"Bible readers don't make good Catholics (we know too much)" is a
crock. Bible readers make the very best Catholics. Bible reading alone
won't necessarily make you a Catholic, because the Bible, contrary to
what some like to think, is not a self-interpreting Book. The Bible,
in fact, can be used to support many different and contradictroy
notions of the truth. God designed it that way, in order to "confuse
the proud in their inmost thoughts."  And the Bible itself, finally,
contains a warning about just that. You've read it, in the Second
Epistle of Peter. right? It's right there at the end of the Epistle.

"Catholics aren't Bible readers" is equally a crock. I am a Catholic
and a Bible reader, so that disproves that right there. In fact, the
study of the Holy Scriptures is encouraged by the Church.  Pope Leo
XIII wrote an encyclical about it, entitled "Providentissimus Deus."
You can read it here:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_18111893_providentissimus-deus_en.html
You may find it enlightening. At the very least, it may clear up some
misconceptions you have had about Catholic Biblical Scholarship.

There is even a plenary indulgence attached to reading the Sacred
Scriptures for one-half hour. Since we're on the subject of Purgatory,
the subject of indulgences comes right into play. The ordinary
conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence are, the state of
Sanctifying Grace, the work prescribed, prayer for the intentiions of
the Holy Father, the Sacrament of Confession, and the worthy reception
of Holy Communion. The effect of the plenary indulgence is the entire
remission of all temporal punishment due for sin. That means, yes,
that a plenary indulgence gets you out of Purgatory entirely. And one
of the works so indulgenced is the devout reading, for at least
one-half hour, of the Sacred Scriptures.